Monrovia/Abuja (dpa) – Relatives and friends of those killed in Nigeria's Christmas Day church blasts have been holding memorial services. Services were held on Monday and Tuesday at the St Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, a town about 20 kilometres west of the capital Abuja, where at least 35 people were killed as Christmas services were ending. Nigerian television reported that the explosion was caused by a car bomb that destroyed much of the church building and killed churchgoers as they poured out of the service. Monday's special mass was presided over by bishops, who read passages from Pope Benedict XVI's Christmas address. Among those in attendance was a 13-year-old girl who lost both her parents and all her siblings in the attack, newspaper The Nation reported. Nancy Maduka's parents had allowed her to stay home and do her hair on Christmas morning, the newspaper said. Maduka later found the charred bodies of her parents and sisters in their car outside the church. Africa's religious and political leaders have been speaking out in the wake of the attacks. South African President Jacob Zuma, who promised to work closely with Nigeria to promote peace during a recent visit there, released a statement expressing condolences “to families of the deceased and the injured, during this difficult time of mourning and sadness.” Radical Islamist group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for Sunday's attacks, which also targeted the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church in the central Jos region, injuring several people and killing a policemen. Two more attacks hit the volatile north-east, killing four people. One of the attacks was on a church in Gadaka, in Yobe state. In the run-up to Christmas, Boko Haram had issued statements in which they threatened to disrupt holiday celebrations. Police stepped up a security drive, raiding suspected bomb factories and making key arrests in the weeks before the festival. Last Christmas, dozens were killed in attacks on Christians, while Muslims have also died in violence during Islamic celebrations. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/Hngi0 Tags: Bomb, Christmas Day, Mourners, Nigeria Section: Latest News, Religion, West Africa
